Kertesz finished with a time of 33:54.99 in the 10,000-meter run and in the process earned second-team All-America honors. The Toledo native edged out Louisville’s Holly Knight by 2.37 seconds for the final All-America spot.

UT runner Emma Kertesz, courtesy of UT Athletic Department

“It was a great race. It went exactly as I was hoping it would go,” Kertesz said. “It came down to the last 3,000 meters with four of us battling for the 16th spot. I really had to kick in the last lap. It’s the hardest I’ve ever run in my life.”

“It was an incredibly fast race, so Emma really played it smart,” UT head coach Kevin Hadsell said. “The first 7,000 meters were tactical, hanging back and waiting for the right time to move. She then ran hard for the next 2,400 meters, picking off some of the runners who had tried to stay in the lead group. Then the last 600 meters was really an all-out sprint. She really outkicked that last runner to get 16th place.”

With the race, Kertesz became Toledo’s eighth All-American in 11 years. Kertesz qualified for the tournament after finishing in 10th place in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA East Preliminary Championship Meet on May 24 in Jacksonville.